A former visa officer shares dos and don’ts for visa interviews.
Getting a US visa has gradually become a stroke of luck as the rate of denials is high. Sometimes there are legitimate reasons, sometimes the visa officers just doubt that the applicant may not return to their home countries, and sometimes, it is just a bad day. Christa Byker, a former visa officer, said while most people focus on documents and literal answers to probable questions, visa officers are trained to read microimpressions. They can pick up on subtle cues like confidence, consistency and authenticity,“In those first few seconds, before you’ve finished your first sentence, the officer has already started forming a perception,” Byker said.
5 things that visa officers notice
- How you walk up to the counter
- Eye contact (natural, not forced)
- Tone of voice — calm/natural/confident beats rehearsed/timid
- Listening fully before answering
- Keeping answers strategic, logical and honest
3 things to never say at a visa interview
Byker said she chose three phrases that she heard again and again in interviews that, in her mind, introduced an element of negativity and doubt.
- “My application was weak”
- “I was very nervous and disorganized so I couldn’t express X”
- “I took a gap year because my profile wasn’t strong enough yet”
What to say instead:
- “Today I’d like to clarify the strength of my application by demonstrating X”
- “At my last interview there seemed to be a misunderstanding about my father’s finances. He is a very solvent businessman with a wide travel history. Can you take a second look?”
- “I took a gap year to prepare exams, invest in myself and explore what I want out of life. Now I’m ready to study a degree I’m passionate about”
If your visa officer is rude and you are denied
Byker said it often happens that a visa application gets denied because of the prejudice of the visa officer while the case itself has no flaw. The best thing in such a scenario is to apply again. “That rude officer likely has a bad reputation among colleagues. If they see that person’s name on the prior refusal notes, that might be a signal for them to truly reconsider the case,” Byker said.
